Educational Leadership - Part 2

Let me start by saying that my last post wasn't meant to be a venting of a previous negative experience. It was to show how those in leadership positions don't always practice true leadership behavior or skills. In part, I believe that the behavior on their part comes from an egotistical drive to be in control or a sense of insecurity that leads them to always focus on themselves as the topic of all conversations.

With this being said, what would make a good educational leader? I think one of the critical areas to consider or think to yourself is, how good of a listener am I? Now, it's important to remember that a good listener really listens! Some think they're good listeners but really aren't. What do I mean by this? Do you know people who, when conversing with them, are chomping at the bit to respond to you before you've even finished what you wanted to say? It becomes a situation where once you complete your statement, they want to tell you what they think you should do. It becomes less of a conversation and more of a lecture. Therefore, it is imperative that you really hear what the person is saying.

If, as an educational leader, you are working with a teacher looking for ideas regarding a specific issue or situation, you hear them out.  Before jumping in with what you think is the best idea, make sure you get clarification that you are both on the same page.  Here I go back to my days as a therapist; if I were going to define this in psychological terms, I would say you need to take a Rogerian approach to your conversation. It is essential to be an excellent sounding board. Don't be too anxious to jump in there with your ideas.

Along with this, you need to be good at building relationships. You need to treat people equally and fairly. If I'm in a leadership role, I don't attempt to throw my weight around and have a top-down management style. In reality, we are all in this together. Our primary goal is to educate students, create a strong foundation for learning, and hopefully make learning fun. If I come across as distant or authoritarian, it will be difficult to form a good relationship.

If I can be a good listener and build a positive relationship, the following key ingredient is to be in this process together. In other words, if a teacher comes to me looking for ideas, I will ensure they are a part of coming up with a solution. For example, when I was a district's technology coordinator, most of my time was spent working with teachers on integrating technology.  By sitting down with them and discussing what they wanted to accomplish, we would begin to devise a plan of action.

Let me explain further.  I had introduced Moodle to our school district, first working with three teachers with whom I was collaborating as a part of my doctoral studies. Each teacher had taken the LoTi survey, plus having already begun working with them, had a good idea of where they were with technology integration, knowledge of technology, and whether they were more student-centered or teacher-centered in their approach to teaching. Starting, we worked on determining their ultimate goal (see my previous blog on this) with their students.  It was also to really listen to their concerns and fears when using a new technology they weren't familiar with. Also, in some cases, it was letting go of control. In other words, moving towards a more project-based, student-centered approach. Finally, it was essential to let them know that it wasn't a competition. I would talk about how, in elementary school, there would be these bulletin board wars, as I called them. One teacher would decorate the bulletin board outside their classroom. Another teacher would see it and feel they needed to outdo the other teacher's bulletin board. I assured them that they could move at a pace that was most comfortable with them.

We would spend time together working on creating their Moodle course. It may start with teaching them how to place resources on their Moodle.  As they began to get comfortable with Moodle, we would work together on expanding Moodle into a more interactive experience. It was a very reflective experience. For example, "ok, we've now added resources to Moodle; now let's work on making it more than a repository of information." Considering that their expertise in their curriculum area was a valuable piece of the process, we would then look at how technology would fit into the equation. Not making technology the end goal but another way to reach their ultimate goal.  Respecting the teacher's concerns, knowing that sometimes things would need to be reworked, or taking a different direction was all a part of the process. Collaboration was the key. As mentioned previously, being a good listener is crucial.

As more teachers began to hear about this "Moodle thing," more teachers began to come to me to ask about how to use it. Shortly thereafter, the entire district started using Moodle. The key was letting those experiencing Moodle share with others. Teachers began to teach each other how to use it and share ideas on what they were doing with Moodle in their classrooms.

A part of leadership is to encourage others to be leaders themselves. Having others take these leadership roles builds morale and makes teachers feel valued.

Let's look at another example. Even when I returned to the classroom to teach, I would continue to work with other teachers to integrate technology. I was teaching 6th-grade social studies and began to use ClassCraft quests with students. A math teacher and science teacher approached me after students asked why they weren't using ClassCraft. We then began to work together to build their quests.

Teachers were a critical part of the learning process in both examples. It wasn't a top-down approach but a collaborative approach. All sides were active participants. A part of the relationship building in this process is the sense of trust. You have to trust teachers that they have the best intentions. You must have trust to give up the need to be in control.

Will you always be successful? Chances are that you won't. But everything is a learning experience. No matter what happens, there will be those who won't be happy unless you dictate what they must do. Some may need to be the victim and feel used and abused.  In these cases, it means those who feel this way can feel justified when things don't go accordingly. The idea I always think to myself is, "Water the flowers and not the rocks!"

Finally, a good leader will speak up when the need arises. This can be a scary proposition for some, and rightfully so. Who wants to risk losing their job because they spoke up? However, there is power in truth. There is power in facts. I often say to others, "Just be aware of the man behind the curtain" (a reference to the Wizard of Oz).  Sometimes, the fear of what might happen outweighs the reality of the situation. Sometimes, everyone is expected to fall into line without questioning authority. If the cause is justified and beneficial to teachers and students the long run you will be seen as an educational leader not just an educational position.